New podcast/video from Felix Comic Art (UPDATED 1/3/17!) 6 6

[Nexus]

The Felix Comic Art Podcast goes to Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina for our 22nd episode!

We welcome fellow podcaster Jason Wood of the long-running 11 O'Clock Comics Podcast, to discuss sketch and commission collecting at conventions. Simply put, Jason gets a LOT of sketches and commissions. He discusses his methodical approach to maximizing each show experience, and shares tips for fellow Artists Alley hounds. Joining us are returning guests Jimmy Lawrence, Benno Rothschild, and Shannon Slayton who discuss their own perspectives on how to get the most out of attending a con.

For the second half, we bring you a recording of the Heroes Con original art panel. Moderated by Jason, with panel guests Daniel Warren Johnson, Jeff Singh, and yours truly. We talk about different facets of the hobby, and are joined by the audience in a lively Q&A session. So if you missed the panel, here's your chance to hear what went down!

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Sign up for our mailing list at felixcomicart.com. Support the show by leaving a rating/review on iTunes. We reward those who do both. Thanks and enjoy the show!

http://felixcomicart.libsyn.com/

[Hekla]

Awesome - today is a 'repetitive tasks in spreadsheets' type of day at work and perfect for listening to podcasts.... looking forward to it

[ESeffinga]

Another fun listen.

[John E.]

Nice episode! Jason had some nice tips about optimizing sketch collecting at Artist Alley. I took away a thing or two to up my sketch game.

I read somewhere in these threads recently about who's going to be the next generation of art dealers after the Big Guns are retired--well, the panel feature of the podcast answered it (I believe it was Felix) and it affirms what I've been thinking -- there won't be any Big Shot dealers anymore; it's going to be the auction houses. That's where all the "A-level" art is appearing. What I'm still trying to understand is how did that happen?

 

Edited September 7, 2017 by Jay Olie Espy
better word choice

[staffman]

Another Fantastic podcast @Nexus I really enjoyed hearing Jason's take on the overall collecting aspect along with yours and Daniel's as well.  It's interesting to note that after one has been in this hobby for a while, you begin to know which artist has a reputation for being very late with commissions or non-communicative about work being done on said commission and how fellow collectors will warn friends and new collectors about them off to the side, but there just seems to be a general queasiness in calling them out publicly.  It's a bit odd that we are all in agreement that the Donnelly's are pretty much outed at every turn for their practices, but if an artist cannot seem to get a commission piece out the door after 3 years of it being paid for is not really mentioned anywhere and people have to be warned off to the side.  I certainly understand that people are friends of certain artists and are maybe concerned that if the artist is potentially slandered that ties can be severed unintentionally, but should an artist not at least be held to some sense of accountability for the transaction that occurred?  I'm not trying to start a fire and pitchfork protest on targeting artists since, lets be honest, there are always 2 sides to a story and not every collector is innocent in how things went on their end either sometimes.  I'm always of the opinion that one should work it out directly with the party that they have the issue with before they go running to the internet to vent, but  it seems sometimes things just cannot  get sorted out  correctly until the person goes public with the information.  I guess I should just shut up and say that I am very thankful that there are art reps that help people like me navigate the waters on not only getting artwork, but are offering me a safety net to make sure the deal is seen through to its proper conclusion.    

[eewwnuk]

nothing wrong with outing artists.  statueforum had a nice review section that isn't as used as it used to be:

http://www.statueforum.com/showthread.php?t=100146

[John E.]

I think the reason why collectors don't speak up about bad commissions or straight theft is because of the public adulation of the artist and the collector might be afraid of backlash about it, such as coming off as vindictive or bitter (because, hey, it should be a privilege to have been ripped off by such a big name!) I just feel like when it comes down to it, is the public going to side with Joe Blow, or the guy who changed the face of DC/Marvel comics (or insert any big name)? I think it's easier to just be hush about it.

[staffman]

49 minutes ago, eewwnuk said:

nothing wrong with outing artists.  statueforum had a nice review section that isn't as used as it used to be:

http://www.statueforum.com/showthread.php?t=100146

Ah.  Thanks for the info.  

28 minutes ago, Jay Olie Espy said:

I think the reason why collectors don't speak up about bad commissions or straight theft is because of the public adulation of the artist and the collector might be afraid of backlash about it, such as coming off as vindictive or bitter (because, hey, it should be a privilege to have been ripped off by such a big name!) I just feel like when it comes down to it, is the public going to side with Joe Blow, or the guy who changed the face of DC/Marvel comics (or insert any big name)? I think it's easier to just be hush about it.

True, but that is not always the case.  If enough people come forward then opinion's can be swayed if they see a pattern.    I've heard about some bad experiences with some big artists and while they aren't publicly shared, they are definitely known by everyone in the hobby that's been in it for a while.

Of course like anything else, this all boils down to opinion.  Jeff Singh on the podcast states that he will wait years as long as communication is kept up.  I on the other hand cannot do that.  If I have no money in it, then, sure, I can wait 20 years since I have nothing to lose, but if someone is holding onto several thousand dollars of my money and can't deliver after 2 years of constant delays then I just can't do it.  My mind just keeps circling back and saying to me I just gave them a loan for an indeterminate amount of time, which outside of close friends and family I will not do.

[eewwnuk]

waiting years imo is nutty.  people forget that life happens to artists as well.  artists are not immune to unexpected death or life changing events that can cause them to no longer draw.  I experienced first hand both of those scenarios and at those instances, your money is basically left as a donation. 

[John E.]

19 minutes ago, staffman said:

Ah.  Thanks for the info.  

True, but that is not always the case.  If enough people come forward then opinion's can be swayed if they see a pattern.    I've heard about some bad experiences with some big artists and while they aren't publicly shared, they are definitely known by everyone in the hobby that's been in it for a while.

Of course like anything else, this all boils down to opinion.  Jeff Singh on the podcast states that he will wait years as long as communication is kept up.  I on the other hand cannot do that.  If I have no money in it, then, sure, I can wait 20 years since I have nothing to lose, but if someone is holding onto several thousand dollars of my money and can't deliver after 2 years of constant delays then I just can't do it.  My mind just keeps circling back and saying to me I just gave them a loan for an indeterminate amount of time, which outside of close friends and family I will not do.

I think the term for that is "open secret." Unfortunately, if you're not in the "In," you're still shut out from the information. I think I know of only one "famous inker" who has a reputation of ripping off folks. This same inker also screwed up a convention sketch in my earlier collecting days and I just sucked it up like a sycophant. It's scary not to know who else is likely to rip me off, but like you, I stay away from commissions mainly because artists can't deliver on time, so maybe that's why I don't worry about it too much.

[PhilipB2k17]

I think art reps (Hi Felix!) should hire an attorney to draw up commission contracts. One pagers that put the terms of the commission into writing, so that both sides have a written understanding of them. Maybe you put into the agreement that the piece has to be delivered within 12 months, and that you need to see a rough of it after 6 months. When you are talking about thousands of dollars it makes no sense to do this all verbally. The responsible artists will have no problem with this, as the terms are negotiable. It's the unreliable ones who will complain.

[BCarter27]

21 hours ago, Jay Olie Espy said:

there won't be any Big Shot dealers anymore; it's going to be the auction houses. That's where all the "A-level" art is appearing. What I'm still trying to understand is how did that happen?

I haven't listened to the latest ep yet, but I think this is due to the fact that most of the dealers got in during the early days before the hobby really established itself. They are just still trading with that capital. It isn't sustainable and isn't repeatable for a new would-be dealer. Artists are hip to their art prices now. Why sell out their stock to a dealer if they can get a rep or just sell direct?

Also, on the selling side, most collectible auctions used to only be attended by dealers to gather stock for their fixed-price store listings. With the internet, anyone can attend an auction now. So a consignor doesn't need a dealer to reach their target buying audience. Also, an auction is an event. And events can be marketed. And marketing is the only thing that matters in life now. And cheese fries.

Edited September 7, 2017 by BCarter27

[vodou]

1 hour ago, BCarter27 said:

I haven't listened to the latest ep yet, but I think this is due to the fact that most of the dealers got in during the early days before the hobby really established itself. They are just still trading with that capital. It isn't sustainable and isn't repeatable for a new would-be dealer. Artists are hip to their art prices now. Why sell out their stock to a dealer if they can get a rep or just sell direct?

You're correct, as long as you limit the conversation to treating this thing like a profitable hobby instead of as a small business. Dealing comic art is definitely a tougher sell than opening a new Dunkin' Donuts, but there are bankers that will talk to you as long as you've got a good story to tell, some capital and the business plan to back it up. One doesn't have to be 100% invested in their inventory, as the present crop are.

[Pete Marino]

I almost see dealers of the future being the middle men, the trusted guys that can  facilitate deal going smoothly. (For a small fee)

Edited September 7, 2017 by Pete Marino

[Michael (OML)1]

On ‎9‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 6:32 PM, Jay Olie Espy said:

Nice episode! Jason had some nice tips about optimizing sketch collecting at Artist Alley. I took away a thing or two to up my sketch game.

I read somewhere in these threads recently about who's going to be the next generation of art dealers after the Big Guns are retired--well, the panel feature of the podcast answered it (I believe it was Felix) and it affirms what I've been thinking -- there won't be any Big Shot dealers anymore; it's going to be the auction houses. That's where all the "A-level" art is appearing. What I'm still trying to understand is how did that happen?

 

One of the key things the dealers offer is instant liquidity -- I'm a huge fan of the auction houses but it will be interesting to see how many people need the liquidity that a dealer can offer?

[Hekla]

I didn't think it was worth starting a new thread, but a couple of Arizona comic artists, Scott Godlewski and Ryan Cody, have a podcast where they discuss comics and beer. This latest episode they talk about how they, as struggling artists, collect comic art and feelings about selling their artwork and doing commissions.

Coincidentally (or not?), this particular episode was sponsored by Felix.

The Illustrious Gentlemen (also on iTunes)

https://tigshow.com/

Edited September 13, 2017 by Hekla
better link

[Andahaion]

22 hours ago, Hekla said:

I didn't think it was worth starting a new thread, but a couple of Arizona comic artists, Scott Godlewski and Ryan Cody, have a podcast where they discuss comics and beer. This latest episode they talk about how they, as struggling artists, collect comic art and feelings about selling their artwork and doing commissions.

Coincidentally (or not?), this particular episode was sponsored by Felix.

The Illustrious Gentlemen (also on iTunes)

https://tigshow.com/

Thanks for the heads up.  Listened to it on commute in this AM.  Always enjoy hearing new perspectives on the hobby.  

[Hekla]

3 hours ago, Andahaion said:

Thanks for the heads up.  Listened to it on commute in this AM.  Always enjoy hearing new perspectives on the hobby.  

sure

Another of their episodes I found interesting was the 'Mount Rushmore of comic artists' (episode 5). They have a Jack Kirby episode too, but I haven't gotten around to that one yet.

[Nexus]

On 8/17/2017 at 0:17 PM, MOStateSuperman said:

I have to say, I think the latest episode is the best. I found the Halperin interview very interesting, and the roundtables are always good.

Thanks! I do hope to talk to Jim again. Anyone with any questions for him, feel free to send my way!

[Nexus]

On 9/7/2017 at 6:22 AM, staffman said:

Another Fantastic podcast @Nexus I really enjoyed hearing Jason's take on the overall collecting aspect along with yours and Daniel's as well.  It's interesting to note that after one has been in this hobby for a while, you begin to know which artist has a reputation for being very late with commissions or non-communicative about work being done on said commission and how fellow collectors will warn friends and new collectors about them off to the side, but there just seems to be a general queasiness in calling them out publicly.  It's a bit odd that we are all in agreement that the Donnelly's are pretty much outed at every turn for their practices, but if an artist cannot seem to get a commission piece out the door after 3 years of it being paid for is not really mentioned anywhere and people have to be warned off to the side.  I certainly understand that people are friends of certain artists and are maybe concerned that if the artist is potentially slandered that ties can be severed unintentionally, but should an artist not at least be held to some sense of accountability for the transaction that occurred?  I'm not trying to start a fire and pitchfork protest on targeting artists since, lets be honest, there are always 2 sides to a story and not every collector is innocent in how things went on their end either sometimes.  I'm always of the opinion that one should work it out directly with the party that they have the issue with before they go running to the internet to vent, but  it seems sometimes things just cannot  get sorted out  correctly until the person goes public with the information.  I guess I should just shut up and say that I am very thankful that there are art reps that help people like me navigate the waters on not only getting artwork, but are offering me a safety net to make sure the deal is seen through to its proper conclusion.    

I actually think there IS a lot of public calling out of flakey artists. But you have to be an active participant via social media (FB these days, but historically comicart-l and message boards) to be aware of it.